


Watching the Sun Set

by SansThePacifist



Series: wip's i should finish [2]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto, Naruto Shippuden
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Blood, Blood Lust, Bullies, Bullying, Chakra, Chakra control, Comic Relief, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack-ish, Crying, Cussing, Eeeehh, Everyone in this needs a hug tbh, F/F, F/M, Father-son dynamic, Fix-It, Fluff, Going back in time to fix stuff, Grief, Grieving, Healing, Hints of Team Seven OT3, Hokage Naruto, Hugs, Hurt, Hurt with no Comfort, Hurt/confort, I Do, I feel sorry for him, I mean, I'll add tags & stuff as they come and go, Im not really sure what the end ships would be but im half sure it'd be polyamory, Implied Bullying, Implied abuse, Introspection, Jinchuuriki - Freeform, Kakashi - Freeform, Kids, Kinda, LMAO, Like, Loneliness, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Maybe - Freeform, Mentions of greif, Multi, Naruto also kinda died, Naruto goes back in time, Naruto is also kind of a troll, Naruto is pretty sassy, Ninja War, On hiatus for an undefined amount of time, Other, Outcasted, Pain, Panda-chan meet fox!, Peggy Sue, Poor Hiruzen, Reunions, Sarcasm, Sasuke needs a hug, See boruto; trying not to be a jerk face but also trying to not like his dad too much, Smart Sakura, So does Naruto, Still, Suffer my children, Support, Swearing, Team 7 is basically a group of children than needs a lot of hugs and support, Tears, The Hokage position might as well be cursed tbh, Time Skips, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Unreliable Narrator, Violence, aCK- writers block, almost all of the characters have a mental disorder, and dies inside, are you guys actually reading these tags, because HECK, because they hold a lot of hints, big bro kakashi, both he and sarutobi, but again, but eh, but meh, code names, fear and spooked and stuff, for a bit, friendships, gaara has a messed up mind and being sent back in time into an even more messed up mind isnt helping, god damn it, god help gaara, golden feilds and rolling hills, he has to deal with fan girls, he kinda died, he's gonna get his ears screamed off by the council, he's pretty smart just...underestimated, help him, help his family too, hes gonna kill a bitch, hints of PTSD, hints of depression, honestly, i HAD to get him perfect, i couldnt wait to write him, i love jiraiya so much, i love them, i mean l o t s, i probably overuse italics, i ship a lot of people and the ships are going to be absolutely self-indulgent, im not gonna be focusing on romances, implied hurt, inconsistent updates, irregular updates, its my story, its too much for him, its... yeah, just- just a warning, lonely boi, lonely boi who is not as alone as he thinks he is, lots of death, most deaths aren't really described but yeah, my poor bb, naruto gets blamed for basically anything crazy like going back through time, oh no, oh no the quality is going down down down, one-sided, or maybe it's just the salty narration, outcasting, poor kakashi, poor poor kakashi, poor sarutobi, relationships, rip sasuke, sarcastic narrator, sasuke and naruto are bros, sasuke gets his sharingan early, smart!Naruto, so did a lot of others, so rip him, suffer, the pervy sage wakes up, this is pretty cliche, this whole this is basically just introspection :D, thought one sided love, vague mention of bullying, which is a headcannon of mine, who knows - Freeform, you broke gaara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-03-15 22:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13622703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansThePacifist/pseuds/SansThePacifist
Summary: The third thing was that he was in a field of golden grass and cloudless skies. He loved it. If this was what the afterlife was like, then he loved it. He made a sound of satisfaction, walking in a random direction. He saw a group of people in the distance and it was the weirdest thing. He saw people? His breath caught in his throat. He saw- there was-! He had to say something! Something so like him that they recognize him immediately. He had to do something awesome so that they--He choked on air.(Aka another one of those cliche stories where Naruto goes back in time that no one asked for)





	1. Death is Only The Beginning

_“Hinata! Take the children to the bunker!”_ _  
_ _“But Naruto..!”_

_“Go! Keep them safe, I’ll-- I’m going to do my best to come back.”_

_“Please…!”_

_“I have to go. Keep them alive, stay alive.”_

_“Naruto!”_

**_Boom_ ** _._

 

* * *

 

It was dark, everything was darker than before. His eyes fluttered open before he grimaced. Rubble had fallen upon him, but he couldn’t feel it. His whole body was numb. Who was he anyways? His mind was blank, far too blank. He coughed, blood becoming more messy than it was already in before. Why was he here? He couldn’t remember, but he did. A voice told him to get up, but his dull eyes closed once more, hoping to get away from the darkness.

Instead, he found himself being scorched in flames, heat with no fire. His eyes opened once more to find the rocks gone. A blurry face was in front of him, crying about something. He could recognize them, they were pink, pretty pink, but he couldn’t figure out from where. He was being healed, he could tell, but as she sobbed to him to come back, all he could do was smile weakly. He liked her. Such a beautiful pink, like a flower. His flower? No. He had another flower, pretty white eyes.

What was his name? Would the flower tell him? Naruto. Ah. He remembered. Sakura. She really is a flower. He coughed, blood dripping more and more, covering her hands in crimson. He wasn’t healing quickly, but he could remember why. After all, becoming Hokage isn’t something he could exactly forget, nor was losing _him_. Even better was watching children grow. The children were grown, but there he was, watching the rubble of the village as it continued to fall weakly. He was the Hokage, yet he couldn’t protect his own. How weak. His eyes traveled back to look at Sakura. She was crying for him. Haha. He coughed once more, his throat tearing itself apart.

He wanted to speak. He had to speak. He had to say something, god damn it. He couldn’t just let her cry like that. Blood was everywhere, his limbs were black and blue, bruised and bloodied. He was going to die. Speak. He had to speak. “I-”

“Shh!” She hissed through her teeth, tears continuing to fall, “Save your strength.” Tears welled up in his eyes as he forced himself to smile again.

“..I’m.. sorry...” His already soft voice was weaker, hoarse, a whisper.

“No no no! Don’t say _sorry_ ! I- I’m going to heal you, _I’m healing you_ . You’re _going to be okay_.” She bit back a sob, but the tears continued to fall. Truthfully, she knew. She refused to acknowledge it, but she knew. She had to be strong though. She had to. Keep trying.

He winced, smile falling slightly. Fuck. It hurt. It hurt so much. He just wanted to sleep. He was so _tired_. His breath rattled as he exhaled roughly. It hurt, it hurt. He closed his eyes and hoped. He wished he could go back and fix everything. He wished he could go back and not be such an idiot. Alas, he knew it would never happen. He could hear Sakura, calling for him to “open your eyes, idiot” but he couldn’t. Maybe he should’ve, but he couldn’t. They felt like they were sealed shot, but he didn’t really mind much. If he were to die, he would have died in an attempt to protect what was left of his village. He would have died like a true Hokage.

He supposed that was what he wanted, wasn’t it? Would it be okay if he just let go? Would it be alright if he stopped trying to hold onto her voice calling for him? Would it be a disgrace to Jiraiya? A disgrace to the people who fought to protect him? To the people who had died? His eyes were so heavy, he couldn’t help but panic momentarily. At least Sasuke was alive. He could keep Sakura from going too far deep in the world of depression. At least his children were alive as well, in a bunker, but alive. He was happy with that. If he died, Hinata would take care of them.

He reason for doubt was gone. If he died, they would find a new Hokage, so in the end, it didn’t matter. He hoped his kids would forgive him.

 

He let himself go.

 

* * *

 

The first thing he noticed was that he was standing. The second thing he noticed was that he was a teen again. The third thing was that he was in a field of golden grass and cloudless skies. He loved it. If this was what the afterlife was like, then he loved it. He made a sound of satisfaction, walking in a random direction. He saw a group of people in the distance and it was the weirdest thing. He saw _people_? His breath caught in his throat. He saw- there was-! He had to say something! Something so like him that they recognize him immediately. He had to do something awesome so that they--

He choked on air.

 

That caught their attention alright. Heads suddenly swerved in his direction whilst he continued to wheeze for air. “H- holy _shit_ ..!” He fanned himself, looking up at them with watering eyes. “I-i didn’t i-” He pulled the sleeve over his hand and wiped his eyes. “ _Holy shit_.” In a moment or two, arms were wrapped around him, pulling him up and giving him a wide smile.

“Naruto!” It was Jiraiya. He choked on a sob, eyes wide, before quickly pulling him into a hug. This was most likely some cruel, cruel dream, or maybe a genjutsu. He would wake up in the hospital with Sakura shaking him awake, and it all would be fake. He hated it, but he loved it so so much. So of course the first thing he did after hugging him was punch him in the gut.

“What the hell!!” He grit his teeth, “You leave saying you’ll see me again then you fucking go and die!” Then he hugged him again, “Y-you fucking a-asshole..!” It may be a dream, but it felt so real. It felt even more real as Jiraiya hugged him back and he was so warm, he tried to hold back tears. He didn’t are if he saw the others, at this point, the pervy sage was more important. He’ll greet them later.

“I watched you become a fine Hokage, Naruto.” And he broke. The tears continued to fall and fall and he- He let Naruto go, giving a big and boisterous laugh. Naruto almost started sobbing again right then and there from hearing it. He smiled widely, pulling Jiraiya into another hug.

“I missed you, pervy sage.”

 

* * *

 

 

He met his dad, his mom even, again. They were just as wonderful as he remembered. His blue eyed parents and god father was there. Even Grandma Tsunade was there. She, of course, reacted somewhat violently to seeing him there, but at the realization that she had seemed him older than that, it hit home. She, herself, looked younger as well. A smoother twenties look. He could see the way the two Sannin eyed each other when they thought others weren’t looking. Whenever their eyes caught, Tsunade would look away quickly, chin raised and shoulders stiff. Honestly.

It was like they expected each other to vanish while not looking. It was understandable, but while he stood there, greeting his makeshift family, others arrived.

 

He hated and loved seeing everyone there. The whole Rookie Nine was together, and even his family. Alas, they were dead. When Sakura arrived, she solemnly told him that the assistant of the main intruder got her. She couldn’t go back. “But what about Sasuke?” He wasn’t there yet. She gasped, looking around before lowering her head.

“Missing in action.” But he wasn’t dead yet. Right?

 

He was approached by a person with a pretty fox mask. He pointed it out and watched they laughed softly. “Thank you.” Then they offered the one thing he wished for right before he died.

“ _Blah blah blah_ … go back in time.” What? “If you accept, you will go but,” The catch? It as something he would do even without being told. “Change the future.” Naruto cheered. A few others did as well. “I will be selecting a few of you to go back to before the Uchiha Incident.” Naruto raised a hand, feeling like he was back in school (only this time, paying attention to it).

“Do we retain our powers and chakra control as well as memories?” The fox masked person nodded.

“Of course, I stated that earlier.” He kinda wasn’t really paying attention. Maybe he should’ve, especially if it was going to help him.

“Who are the people you will be choosing?” They hummed, giving Naruto a look. It set him on edge, but he couldn’t tell what it was exactly.

"Hm.. You'll see." That wasn't helpful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1499


	2. Wouldn't it be boring?

Of course it would be with a snap of a finger. Of _fucking_ course. With a snap of their finger, he was suddenly on his bed. He had to, once more, deal with watching everyone so far away from him. Harsh whispers and cold eyes. He was alone again and it hurt. They pushed him, ganged up on him, and he remembered just how empty inside he felt before. Hokage didn’t push all the hatred away, there were still people who glared at him from down below, who entered the office with such _strong_ negative feelings. They hated him, they always would. But they were still his family and he loved them. He missed his friend already. The good thing was, he awoke a year or two before the ninja academy. He could at least train on his chakra control.

So that what he did. As a four year old. Walked right over to a tree, tried to adjust his chakra, and ran. To his surprise, he fell halfway through. Well, he was a fpur year old again. His control from before wasn’t exactly showing in a four year old, but it was better than it would have been. So he tried again, pushing just a little more chakra in before running. He got higher, so he tried again. And again. And again. And again. You get the point.

By the time the sun rose, he was able to hang upside down on a branch. Which was awesome to so again, but now he had to learn to do the tree jump. Although, he guessed it would be suspicious if he was able to do it. Maybe chakra exercises would be better? Smarter? Maybe he should go to the Hokage and have someone confirm his memories. That would be better, but what if they don’t believe him?

 

It was better off not to, he supposed. He was still pretty young, so doing stuff like claiming he was from the future would only get him tossed to the side, hated _more_ . He wasn’t stupid. If he remembered correctly, from the time he started school and on-wards, he would be treated even worse. That is, until he saves the village at least once and some see him as less of a burden. He wouldn’t count on it though, once academy starts, he would expect the fan girls and their undying hatred for him. Of course, maybe this new time would be different. Maybe he would get on Sasuke’s good side. That’s just a maybe though because, it seems, Uchiha’s tend to have a thing for absolutely _despising_ him.

Not that he really cared though - he actually did, he just refused to admit it - because in the end, if he ends up doing everything right, he’ll have lots of friends! Who needs Sasuke when you have a bunch of people who love you?

 

~~He does, that’s who.~~

 

He asked if the Fourth was his father. Childlike innocence (it was only ‘childlike’ because he was a freaking adult in a child’s body. Complicated? He thinks so.) seemed to work absolute wonders on the old man and he caved. “You can’t tell anyone, Naruto. You can get really really hurt if you do.” Naruto tilted his head, blinking, and gave the Hokage puppy dog eyes.

“Old man!” He pouted, “I want to wear the family crest though!” Said old man faltered.

“How about I give you some of your fathers stuff instead?” Naruto cheered.

 

He hummed, looking at the scroll in his arms. He knew how to open it, of course, but he would have to wait a few years to be able to do so. After all, wouldn’t it be suspicious if a four year old knew how to open up a scroll full of the belongings of the fourth Hokage that was sealed by the master himself? He certainly thought so. Maybe he could have the Third try and teach him how to read so that he could then go to a library (one that would let him in at least) and learn more about the different jutsu’s out there. He could even say he was curious about his Uzumaki decent, learn more about their sealing techniques. His mother was wonderful to be able to use chakra chains. _Chains_ made out of _chakra_ . That sounded like the best thing to have _ever_.

Though, to live with parents was probably on the top of that list. Jiraiya was the closest he got to knowing what it felt like having a father he- He paused mid-step. He whined before moving an arm up to wipe those tears away. What a pain it was, to have to deal with this all over again. Thinking about the Sannin was enough to make the Uzumaki cry almost every time. Happy memories, sad memories, it reminded him of just how nice it felt to have love. Love was so so so special he just- He wished he could have gotten it from birth. Yet there he was, standing in the middle of the street and crying. The love from his parents had always been there, of course, but he never really got any _physical_ reminders. If he could, he would bring his parents back so that he- so that he could know what it was like to have a real family.

Well, that was off the topic of the scroll though. He would have to read up in one of the libraries at some point. Maybe he could ask the Third for a parent.

 

He decided that would be too cruel. A four year old walking into the old man’s office just to ask for a parent. Hah.

 

Turns out the person working in the Library was actually really really nice. They let him in with the promise (a pinky promise because those can’t be broken) that he wouldn’t hurt any of the books in any way. He was also told to be quiet, although the ANBU following him kind of sucked at being so. He found that the Library had scrolls on lots of different jutsu’s including some on the Uzumaki clan. He however paused at the big section and ended up asking the person to teach him how to read.

Turns out that him not knowing how to read was a huge surprise, because he spoke well for a child. The Hokage got news of such a development rather quickly through an earful from the staff member. It was actually kind of funny, but he had to act like he didn’t know most of the really long words spoken and ended up looking like a confused child.

The way they taught reading was way easier than the way Jiraiya did. They taught him big words and how to write as well. They were really nice.

 

At five years of age, he read scrolls that would probably help with chakra control.

 

By the time the school started, he was taught enough that he could openly read confusing things without looking completely out of place. Iruka was his teacher again, but he could understand the words on the pages this time around so it _that_ boring. He still had trouble sitting still though and had to ask for something (after a few months of trying) to distract himself with. Tapping on the desk with a pencil annoyed the hell out of others, so he decided that wasn’t a good idea after a few minutes. Then when he tried kicking his legs, he accidentally hit the chair and fell. Iruka ended up being much nicer the second time, seeing as he wasn’t as loud and annoying, and gave him something to chew on.

It was much easier to focus after that and his performance improved drastically.

 

Sakura.. Was a lot nicer than he remembered. He wasn’t sure if it was because he knew what she was like in the future, or if it was something else. He gave her a bright smile when she helped him after being pushed down. Curious eyes looked down at him, as if asking a question. Maybe she was just curious this time around if the things the other people said about him were right. Either way, he didn’t mind. After all, something told him he wasn’t so alone anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1385


	3. Watching and Learning

He whispered to Sakura among the shelves, introducing her to books upon books full of strategies and many other things he thought she would reject being taking it to heart in her later years. Surprisingly, she didn’t. Instead, she smiled to him and read the books he offered.

 

The mind scape felt lonely without Kurama there. Well, without him talking at least. He could enter, but he kept being forced out rather quickly because the fox was sleeping. He had only two friends, Sakura and the Librarian. It was kind of sad that he was so happy about having a friend, though those very friends were due to leave him soon enough. Honestly, he remembered how it felt when he watched other’s parents react and take any sort of budding friendship away and crush it. How would Sakura’s parents react to him? He… Well. He didn’t want to know.

It was hard enough acting happy as it was. Having no friends to top off watching your village- no, not just the village- everything you loved taken away it.. He would grace it with no words.

 

The scrolls that spoke of his village and their fighting style were priceless. He loved reading up on his family, his heritage. He loved testing it out on water clones as well. It was fun to practice and practice the taijutsu. He, however, wondered if the thing about swords was true. Would he be able to sword fight?

It also turned out that Sasuke, before the massacre, was really really soft. The kid version of his friend was really nice and liked tomatoes. The Uchiha talked to him a lot about random things and Naruto _loved_ it. Bonding over their likes and dislikes was fun, especially since they were so different than the ones Sasuke liked as an adult. He was still rather sassy, but, as soon as someone mentioned tomatoes or his older brother, he could ramble on and on. Naruto almost wished Sasuke became like that instead of Mr. I-hate-anything-that-breathes. _Almost_.

 

Being six years old meant people could hurt him more. They kicked him harsher, called him worse names, yelled at him louder. He almost faltered under their cold gazes. Spite was what kept him going though, pure spite. They hated him, so he would act like he was the best, brightest person out there. He would act like the sun. If they wanted to hide away from his light, if they wanted to muffle it, then he wouldn’t let them. He laughed louder, got better grades, hid the hurt in his eyes.

God, he forgot how much it hurt.

 

Sasuke managed to still be incredible at reading Naruto like a book, questioning why he was always looking so down. He waved it off rather easily by changing the topic to Itachi. Sakura, on the other hand, wasn’t as easy to distract, sadly. She didn’t have that terribly crush on Sasuke yet, so he couldn’t distract her with him. He couldn’t help but be amused the moment he realized he actually somewhat wished that she would be one of the hell-spawns called fangirls. That amusement was quickly replaced with something else that he couldn’t identify. Either way, he found ways to wave them off, saying he felt fine, or maybe their eyes were tricking them. Lame excuses were unbelievably _fun_ to use.

 

He opened one of the seals within the scroll to find another scroll. That scroll had _another_ seal that was wrapped around it that was chakra activated. As soon as the seal poofed away, he opened it to find two more seals, one had a forehead protector with the Uzumaki crest, most likely from Uzushio. He set it aside carefully, undoing the other seal and- Well he had no words. Why the hell wasn’t it sealed better? Why was the secret to the Fourth’s jutsu’s right in front of him? He stared blankly at the two new scrolls.

 

Rasengan was a little easier to learn the second time.

 

Sasuke invited Naruto to his house for the first time. He was hesitant to accept, first asking if he was serious, then if his family would mind. He said his mom agreed so he kinda just- went with it. His mom was nice. Unbelievably nice. She spoke to him with such soft eyes, eyes he hadn’t seen in years, and he felt like crying. She tried to tame his hair, telling him that he looked just like his father. He couldn’t help but smile brightly.

 

He knew it was too good to be true, he knew it. He fucking knew it. Sasuke’s father glared at him over the table, Fugaku was the name. An asshole, if you asked him, but still his friends parent. He could confirm simply that the man hated him, was planning something against him, watching him. Maybe he was just paranoid or something, but he couldn’t help but wonder if somewhere behind him a person stood with a kunai. He thanked them for the meal, talking with Sasuke, being a friend. Or at least, how he thought a friend was supposed to act as a child. Really, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like he ever visited anyone but the old man.

 

Another year or two passed and they were rather good friends, the three of them. They worked well together, building and bouncing ideas off of each other. Naruto and Sakura often traded glances that spoke many words, yet couldn’t be understood. He would smile brilliantly yet his eyes held wisdom that does not come with just age. No one knew where it came from though, one day the four year old would be running away from people who spoke rudely, the next he had intelligent eyes and was more mature that they could have ever hoped. Sakura had those same very eyes, yet never said nor implied any sort of future.

Naruto couldn’t exactly walk up to anyone with a certain glint in their eyes and ask if they were from the future, now could he? Instead, he laughed loudly, smiled brightly, and waited. He would toss hints about the future and watch others look at him like he was an idiot. He wasn’t. Well, anyways, he did pretty good on tests with the help of the chewy stuff.

 

Their dynamic was rather good, which was surprising because Sasuke wasn’t as rude as before and Sakura didn’t do her best to impress him. He loved it actually. It was like he had a family, a brother and a sister. They bickered and bantered, learning more about each other than before. He talked about how he would become Hokage one day, telling them that he wants the village to be his family. He told them with a smile that could break hearts that he just wants to be loved.

 

The teacher who listened in seemed to be unsettled by something.

 

* * *

 

The massacre was earlier than Naruto remembered, he thought as he hugged his friend. This time he wouldn’t let Sasuke push him away, he will hold him close and hope for the best. He was quiet, not forcing or asking anything when his friend approached him with tears in his eyes. Their future was something that had already been changed, he supposed, if the Uchiha cared enough about him to talk days after the massacre. Naruto gave some advice, but didn’t let go of his friend, even as said friend sobbed.

He loved his friend a lot more than he remembered either. Sasuke was never there in the last timeline, so he supposed, as he pulled his friend closer, that they would stick together even better than the last. This time, this time, he vowed to himself that he would fight tooth and nail if Orochimaru decided to show up and leech off the hatred and wish -Read: Desire- for power.

Sasuke would look up at him with red _-redredredred-_ eyes and attempt to smile, failing miserably. Naruto smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1331


	4. Watch it Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines day!

Kurama still hadn’t talked yet but he supposed it was understandable, after all, didn’t they only come in (what could be considered) contact when Naruto graduated? It was still lonely though, especially since Sasuke refused to speak without needing to. Sakura would seem sadder than usual as well, caressing her own arms and sides tenderly, as if hurt. Suffice to say, he didn’t really have anyone to talk with again. The hatred from others only grew more, children taking after their own parents and hating him. Being either was worse than being six. Maybe he really should have told the Hokage what exactly the civilians did to him.

He healed rather quickly, so being tossed into a river or into a sharp tree didn’t give him fatal wounds. He could have fought the people who did such to him, but that would give them all the more reason to hurt him. So whenever it happened, he just took it quietly. It didn’t matter if they couldn’t see the difference between a prison and a prisoner.

 

In the end, he let his hair grow out slowly. He could see the grief in other’s eyes when they looked at him, obviously seeing the Fourth Hokage instead of him. It took self-control to not lash out at the looks that seemed to have doubled, but he didn’t do anything about his hair. He liked the hair, acting like he was only doing it because the Fourth was his role model (he was, but that wasn’t just it) even though it mainly stemmed from the fact that he was his father. Old man Sarutobi knew Naruto knew - which sounds rather confusing, but it isn’t - who his father was, after all, he was the one to confirm it. The village didn’t know though, why would they? It wasn’t like he ran through the streets screaming that his dad was the best or something.

Though, he would admit… He _was_ rather tempted.

 

Come to think of it, that would be rather funny. The fact that Minato was his father came out a few years after the Pien fight and the war that followed, so they were almost expecting it. But he was just a kid here, a hated kid, so if it got out who his family was… That would be hilarious. Although it _would_ probably turn around and kick him in the ass.

There was a time when, thinking about it, he realized that the village shouldn’t have only laxed their hatred for him when he saved them. _Multiple_ times at that. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, thinking far too much. Maybe if he did everything right this time, he wouldn’t have to prove himself to even gain a smile. Maybe. He didn’t really believe that though, there was not reason to.

 

Children were curious little things, he realized. His children weren’t that old when he died, so he never really noticed much, but when the parents bullied him, the kids would ask why they weren’t allowed to do it to other kids. It was both a blessing and a curse, the adults would sputter and mumble about how he was a demon so _of course_ it was okay. He would pretend it didn’t hurt. But! Their expressions _were_ funny.

 

Sakura asked to train with him and he practically glowed, leading her to his training area. It was a rather good place for practice, a clearing with trees around it and even a river. He spun on his heels to face Sakura and started guiding her. He complimented her each time she completed a task and in return she complimented him. The first time he stuttered and rubbed the back of his neck, obviously not believing her, yet thanked her anyways. There was something nostalgic in her eyes.

 

He gripped the kunai, focusing for a moment before releasing it. His eyes lit up when it was covered in sharp wind chakra. His skills were still as good as ever but his reserves weren’t as high. It was both wonderful and terrifying. He could work up his chakra control again slowly, learn how to get a grain of sand from a desert before it became an ocean. He trained happily, smiling each time he did something right before cheering. It was nice to have so much energy again.

 

It was strange to see Neji alive and moving. Even stranger to see him purposefully covering his forehead. Naruto tried his best to be friends with everyone, this time not backing down when they insulted him once or twice. Nightmares… Nightmares were another topic. He got them frequently just from being around the people he had seen die. He got flashbacks that he hid well, laughing instead of crying. There was only so much he could do to look at others without the feeling of looking at ghosts.

It was harder at times. Sometimes he would look up and his smile would falter. Sometime it would fall and the tears just wouldn’t stop pouring- He took a deep breath, holding a hand over his chest. No one was dead yet. Correction, all but the Uchiha clan weren’t dead yet. Sadly, that didn’t help his train of thought. He was so lonely. He almost wished for someone else to had remembered the torture of a war he had gone though, that they had gone through. Honestly, he wanted to not feel so alone. His friends.. His friends were kept at arm’s length. They were close enough for a hug, but he could never tell them the future he had experienced.

 

Waking up from a nightmare while at a friend’s place was practically the worst. He had no idea where he was, he was not used to it, so he would automatically go into defense. He panicked, hands ready to do a jutsu before he realized just where he was.

Oh.

Well destroying the place might not exactly make them like him much, now would it?

 

He knew how to cook. He _knew_ how to. So why was he watching as fire engulfed his food? The attention span of a child was incredibly hard to work with, he learned. As an adult he found ways to focus- he had to focus, but as a child he couldn’t get the things he needed and didn’t need to focus much. Yet there he was. It was both unsurpring and absolutely terrifying so he had no idea how to react. How did most people react to a fire anyways? He decided to stare at it blankly before trying to put it out.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_Hinata tried to calm the children, eyes uncertain. Her husband was out there fighting for the village yet there she was, sitting and telling stories to kids. Her children looked up at her with bright eyes, curious. “It’s okay, Boruto.” An explosion set her even more on edge than before, but the only showing was the way her eyes kept skipping back to the door. Her expression stiffened before she turned on her Byakugan, searching for her husband. She found him too late._

_He was smiling but blood fell down his chin. She held back a gasp, biting her lip before forcing herself to search for the wound that-- He coughed again and stumbled back, a hole going through his chest. He pressed against a building and his eyes widened as the building crumbled. One of the minions of the original attacker gave some sort of speech before smiling widely and causing another explosion. A kunoichi slammed said man down, managing to incapacitated him in the process, before running to Naruto. It took Hinata a moment to associate the kunoichi with Sakura, but, when she did, she realized rather quickly that Sakura was trying to help Naruto._

_Naruto lay there far too still, the chakra points weakening, but after a bit of healing, he woke up. At first he seemed confused, then he smiled, he said something._

_Sakura was crying._

 

_Oh shit._

_Naruto was dead. The Hokage was dead. Sakura let out a scream - that even Hinata and the children could hear - as his pulse went silent. Naruto was dead. The village was already in chaos from the attack, the main perpetrator was killed by Naruto but the injuries that Naruto held didn’t heal quick enough. Hinata put a hand over her mouth, closing her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears. Her husband was dead…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1410


	5. Dynamics Are Rather Interesting

Kick, pull back, kick. Repeat. Crack. He huffed, adjusting his stance before trying again. Finding a style that fit his small body was rather hard, especially when the old style was made by him for his own abilities. He kicked a bit too hard and winced when the tree cracked again. Maybe today just wasn’t his day. It was good he would be able to defend himself but the fact that he was breaking a tree while trying to hold back did not give a good omen to sparring.

Sadly, the Academy had a test to spar someone, so he might as well give up. It was better forfeiting than hurting a teacher or something.

 

He felt like screaming. Honest to god _screaming_ . He wanted to grab someone, throw them to the ground, and scream. He was so angry, angry with the world, the people in it- their cold, _cold_ eyes. He grimaced, holding back a shout as the villagers (that he still loved far too much, why did he care for them?) hissed through their teeth, telling their children stories of how _terrible_ he was. The desire to scream grew tenfold, but he only smiled to himself, forcing himself to be happier. If he never looked sad, maybe they wouldn’t mind him as much?

He knew it was irrational thinking. They wouldn’t care for him until he risked all of his being just to save them. He gasped, a hand going to his chest quickly, as phantom pain flooded through him. It hurt, it hurt so much, but there was no wound. No scar either. It was just his mind making it up once more, yet it hurt far more than he remembered. He didn’t care if he was in the middle of a classroom, he was panicking and in pain. Hands went to his shoulders and he jolted, looking up to see dark eyes.

Ah. “Sasuke..?” The Uchiha did the famous response, earning a pained smile from the blond. Naruto assessed the situation, finally noticing the stares and whispers. Truly, he had to wonder, how exactly did he stay so happy while going through all that pain?

 

He hummed softly, wondering briefly if he should sit next to Sasuke or not. He did in the end, giving him a smile. Sasuke looked at him, something in his eyes so so broken, before looking away. Naruto frowned slightly, poking his friend. The only response he got was the infamous Uchiha “Hn.”

Ino, he realized as horror dawned upon him, found Sasuke quickly and squealed loudly. His ears hurt. A lot. What sort of _fucking banshee-_   Anyways. He shifted closer to one of his friends, smiling brightly when Sakura sat next to him as well. It still stung that Sakura would rather sit next to Sasuke than him, but he supposed it was bound to happen. After all, she most likely _still_ loved Sasuke instead of Naruto. He was kind of over the love part though, mainly after she lied to him and after he got a wife. _Especially_ because he got a wife.

His smile suddenly faltered and eyes dimmed as he realized his wife wasn’t here. His wife, the person he loved, wasn’t able to come back with him. Did that mean she was alive? He hoped so. Either way, it hurt to realize that his wife was no longer the person he came to love. Heck, he couldn’t even walk over and say ‘Hey’. She _faints_.

 

His chakra control, to put it simply, was _shit_ . He told his teacher about it and how he had a _shit ton_ of chakra _to_ control. Iruka gave him a soft smile and helped him, teaching him exercises to balance out and control it far more easily. He cheered when he didn’t destroy the wall.

 

Sakura poked Sasuke. “Hey.” Said boy ignored her. “Heeey..” She repeated herself, poking him once more, and drawing out the word. “Hey. Hey. Hey.” The raven twitched. “Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey!” The boy huffed, looking over to her.

“What?” The question was harsh, short. She smiled brightly anyways, practically sparkling.

“Hi.” Sasuke looked like he was going to scream.

Naruto laughed from his side, snorting before finding himself on the floor trying to _breathe_ . His friends, they had a _wonderful_ dynamic. They messed with each other often (okay, it was more like _Sakura_ messed with Sasuke often) and Naruto often found himself joining the fun. It was hilarious to watch Sakura, the girl of whom he could remember practically falling to his feet, calling him a duckbutt. A _duckbutt_. He could always get a laugh out of that, even if they didn’t exactly understand why.

 

* * *

 

 

Jiraiya paused halfway through, staring into his cup of sake like it just kicked his dog. Why the hell was he right there? Was this a second heaven or some shit? He blinked, looking to the side multiple times. He was in a fucking club. A club! There were women and _alcohol_ . Honestly, with the memory of getting stabbed _multiple times_ \- by his past students, mind you- and then _drowning_ fresh in his mind, alcohol felt like a _wonderful_ thing. He cheered for another bottle of sake.

He chugged the cups down quickly and wondered just how Naruto was. Did he grow up well or something like that? Get a wife? Get a husband? Meet Sasuke and throw him off a cliff? Jiraiya snorted. Like Naruto, of all people, would do that. He was too forgiving. He would be scared out of his mind if the boy did that on purpose, especially since the raven seemed to be really close to the blond’s heart.

 

He woke up in a bed. A cheap ass bed with thin blankets. His back hurt, his head hurt, everything hurt- and _what the fuck did he do last night_. He scrambled for answers, standing up and getting dressed, putting on a cheap ass robe of some sort and shuffled to look around. Okay, so either someone bought him a room or he did it himself drunk out of his mind. He looked at the calendar and noted with morbid amusement that it was six years before the last date he remembered. He smiled while his eye twitched.

  
What the _fuck_ did Naruto do this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1053


	6. Hues of the Dawning Future

The blond sneezed, wondering with faint amusement if someone was talking about him.

 

Third time’s the charm, he noted with nervousness. The first few times his chakra control was so bad that he practically exploded everything. This time, just like the last, he was hoping he could just fail miserably and get ‘help’ from Mizuki. Maybe learn the next few jutsu in the meantime.

Surly enough, the man approached him, offered the scroll for graduation, and smiled like he was innocent. Mizuki, he realized with a slight frown, was an _asshole_. But, it helped him majorly so whatever. Naruto did what he wanted to, grabbed the scroll, read it and died inside.

 

* * *

 

 

He found himself inside the sewer. Kurama stared at him, as if assessing what the fuck was going on. “Hey.”

 **“What happened, kit?”** Naruto smiled brightly.

“We went back in time, believe it!” The fox huffed and looked away.

**“I’m sealed again.”**

“I will find a way to unseal you again!” A loud snort.

**“Whatever, kit.”**

 

* * *

 

 

He showed the hita-ate to his friends, smiling brightly. It was always nice, he supposed, to see them, this time, treating him well. It brightened his days considerably. He was a sucker for attention, practically throwing himself for it, so it was nice. Always, always nice.

 

Turns out he wasn’t as alone as he thought he was. Sakura had approached him and asked him vague questions about foxes and sevens. Honestly, it was like she was giving him a riddle. He stared at her blankly, going through countless options, before making a strangled sound. If it was some sort of messed up joke, he would scream. The pink haired student would only smile and make a comment about maybe blowing stuff up with medicine. He… Didn’t really understand the joke since medicine wasn’t supposed to do that, but it was alright because he was too busy trying to set his head straight.

Mostly.

 

Naruto frowned, staring up at his jounin-sensei. He got Kakashi again. Even better, he got team seven again. They were most likely matched up because of their strange friendship seeing as Naruto did pretty decent that time around. Kakashi stared back with one eye, seemingly questioning his life. He frowned, walked up, and greeted the former ANBU by calling him his older brother.

Turns out doing that was ‘rude’. Which, frankly, Naruto thought was _bullshit_. He huffed before proudly running a hand over his forehead protector, tracing the carved symbol. A leaf, an amused smile graced him, one of many shinobi connected to the tree of Konoha. Each one essential for the protection and growth. Shed a leaf and the branch mourns, lose too many and the tree falters, feed the roots and watch them protrude from the darkness.

 

If anyone asked how he ended up on the ceiling upside down, he would hold no answer. He was just walking and then he got lost in thought and- Next thing he knew… Ah, it was boring watching the others act surprised. He tilted his head, wondering why in the world everything was upside down. His chakra faltered and he yelped, using his hands to balance himself mid-air. It was a slow fall, he noted with a slight frown. He looked up, confusion clear. How had that happened? He didn’t even know one _could_ be upside down. So many possibilities it opened up, indeed.

It didn’t occur to him the fact that he did it without thinking and without _hands_. If it did, he would have bragged about it for days.

 

Rumors of his potential reached others quickly by mouth and ear. Naruto was finding so many eyes on his unnerving. They were mixes of curious, hatred, sadness, and even… Happiness? He paused mid-step turning to look where he felt those eyes. His throat tightened when he saw nothing. How strange, he was almost sure he was able to read things like that perfectly. Maybe it wasn’t as sharp as he thought it was? He rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to yawn half-way through. Ah! He was going to be late for the training!

He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile. Kakashi stared back at him, his eye holding as much bewilderment as Naruto could think of. He hadn’t seen that sort of look since the war when- he laughed. “I’m sorry sensei! I slept in!” The Hatake nodded, not really believing him but going with it. With that started the explanation of the bell test that Naruto didn’t really listen to. As soon as it started, he ran off into the shadows of a tree, finding Sasuke easily.

Kakashi was just as hard to take surprise of as he remembered, if not more. Yet, he still managed to get a bell, handing it over to Sakura with a small smile. She understood quickly, going to help Sasuke while Naruto tried to get the upper hand. Just to say, not that you didn’t already know it, but Kakashi was impossible to take off guard.

He chewed the food off his chopsticks, watching as Kakashi tried to understand _what went wrong_ while trying to phrase in a passive-aggressive way that they passed. It was amusing. They took Hatake Kakashi by storm the second time around. Honestly, he didn’t understand why he didn’t mess around with the formal ANBU as often the last time. It made him want to fall onto the floor laughing and the amusement clearly showed because the others were snickering as well.

 

* * *

 

 

Jiraiya burst into the office, “Okay, I give up! Take me to my godson!”

“You mean Naruto?”

“Of course I do, who else?” Sarutobi blew out some smoke, wondering how the council would react to any of this.

“He’s become a local choice of gossip.”

“Perfect, I want _to see him._ ” The older of the two sighed, mulling over his choices.

 

* * *

 

 

Naruto sparred with Sasuke, smiling as they continued to tie. His old taijutsu skills didn’t work well in this young body so he was somewhat sloppy. He blocked before punching, side-step, block-- He blinked, looking over to the side to be a white haired man. He stared blankly. Sasuke looked over as well, curious. It was the pervy sage? He was unsure what to do, standing there staring while the old man stared back, before Sakura stormed over, grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him over to the Sannin. The toad sage introduced himself, a mysterious gleam in his eyes.

 

His godfather was back as well! His eyes filled up with tears rather quickly at that revelation and the old man wasn’t exactly sure what to do with that. He pat his head and ruffled his hair, telling him that he looked a lot like the Yondaime Hokage. That brat laughed and said that he _knew_. Asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1139


	7. Mission on the Horrizon

He twirled a scroll in his hand, unsealing a new area and getting another small scroll with more seals within. Smiling, he infused some chakra and watched as the seal around it poofed away. He gasped at the long coat folded oh-so neatly. It had a hair clip as well. He felt like crying.

 

Turns out crying was a great way to alleviate stress. He lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling and feeling rather good for the first time in a long time. His ability to heal quickly kept his eyes same and from getting irritated. A blessing in disguise, he supposed. He made a sound, willing his limbs to move. Instead they stayed there although he was going to be late. He groaned into a pillow.

Sakura came by with the rest of the group and stared at him blankly. He was on his stomach, face in the pillow, with his penguin hat slipping off. “Go away.” He groaned to roll over a bit, seeing them look at him as if he grew two heads. He repeated himself, this time with a little more force. Sakura shook her head and checked over him.

“How much sleep did you get?”

“Not enough.” She sighed.

“Naruto…” He made another noise, not making the effort to get up or say something. She huffed before turning around and telling the others that he should be fine tomorrow. Kakashi rose a brow while Sasuke nodded, getting ready to leave. Whatever. He fell asleep.

 

The next day, he ran over with a big smile and told them about how cool the Uzumaki clan was. Sasuke was ~~obviously~~ quite relieved that whatever went on the day before was short lasting but didn’t really listen much to the ranting, although, if anyone asked he would deny it. Kakashi seemed a bit unnerved but Sakura took his change with stride.

 

Sasuke huffed at the food set in front of him. One, there were no tomatoes. Two, his friends weren’t there? Three, it looked absolutely disgusting. Who even made it? He glared at the… Bubbling.. Pudding? He wasn’t sure what it was but it looked sentient. That.. Wasn’t exactly a good thing. He was supposed to eat _that_? A shiver went down his spine as some girl cooed for him to eat their food instead. It was disturbing. The whole thing was disturbing. People screaming on the top of their lungs because they thought his hair looked nice every day was not exactly as much of a compliment as they thought. In fact, it actually made him uncomfortable. And so, he ignored the girls, glaring at the goop in hope that it would spontaneously combust. Sadly it didn’t and he was hungry.

Sakura and Naruto couldn’t save him. He was dying. Maybe that was _a bit_ (Read: A lot) over dramatic but he wasn’t sure what to do. At all. Fuck. He felt his cheeks heat up while his eye twitched. Those girls were annoying, why were they even there in the first place? Didn’t they have somewhere to be? Like a mission or school? He sighed, eyes caught by something else in front of him. At least they gave him a somewhat decent looking cupcake. It was probably store bought, but it looked better than the sentient blob of mass in the bento. He watched other students eat and talk with no particular interest yet felt his eyes sting when a parent brought in a bento with a smile. Happy smile. He closed his eyes before searching for his friends because _damn_ it was getting lonely. Maybe, just maybe, he could get Naruto to eat the sludge as well. He wasn’t exactly jumping up to figure out what it’s affects would be.

 

The fact that things have already changed was unsettling enough for Naruto. Jiraiya wasn’t supposed to come over and suddenly start teaching his the basics (again). In fact, Naruto wasn’t even supposed to be decently smart. For fucks sake, Sasuke wasn’t even supposed to have the Sharingan! He paced, adjusting the sleeves of his jumpsuit over and over and over and over- He paused mid-step. Who else was coming back? Who else would remember the future? Who else could have possible come to ruin his plans? _Orochimaru_ could come back. The _Akatsuki_ could have come back. The reality of the situation sunk in as his eyes widened. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. That was not good. Not good at all. He made a strangled noise, looking up to his god father (of whom was watching Naruto with an expression which seemed to be torn between being serious and being amused) in hopes of finding some sort of answer.

None. Zip. Nada. Nothing.

He wanted to _scream_.

 

People, he noted with a frown, refused to let him into any shops with any sort of basic necessity. Ichiraku’s let him in with a smile and warm ramen, but he was so small. Smaller than a child should be in general, perhaps Teuchi noticed that, maybe that was why the cost was less for him than anyone else. Perhaps that was why they added extra to his food and smiled so warmly to him. It… Was weird, really. Getting used to the glares for the second time only to get warm smiles from the same people. The smiles of theirs, the warmth behind them, never changed. He didn’t want them to either. He was content with finishing a mission, coming in with a bright smile, and getting meals full of warmth. Perhaps that was what it was like to have parents.

 

It was.. Weird not having scars on his chest. He was so used to them that it felt unnatural for them to be gone. Which was true, it was unnatural. He wasn’t even supposed to be a kid again, but that was okay. It all was okay.

 

If he remembered correctly, Zabuza was a piece of shit. Haku on the other hand, they had the right morals but.. They also were going about them in the wrong manner. He ignored his soaked clothes and the feet on water in favor of trying to figure out some sort of plan for dealing with the demon of the blood mist.

 

Honestly, it ended kind of the same as to how it did before. Gato died and Zabuza got pretty beat up. Haku and Sasuke ended up in a weird sort of tie and Naruto nudged Haku a bit in hope that he would decide to become a legal ninja. Kakashi kept sputtering and getting upset each time he was called big brother but it was worth it. Absolutely worth it.

 

* * *

 

Sarutobi groaned silently into his hands, the councils were going ballistic. Some said it was wonderful that Naruto finally got someone to teach him some manners, some said Jiraiya should have stayed away, and some stayed silent with judging looks on their faces. It was a mess. The three main members bickered with each other while the Hokage nursed a growing headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1170


	8. Breaking Past

His cute little gennin already had the skills to be a chunin. Kakashi made a sound of approval, nodding his head lazily. They still had a month to go before he had to make a decision, but they were well on their way. He had no idea why they had to go through the formalities at that point, if they went into the trails, they would probably win easily. The problem was, who would win? Sasuke? Sakura? Naruto? Naruto and Sakura. They were both holding back during training, one could tell they were strong just by being near them, they just had that type of air to them. He, Kakashi, had learned long ago not to be late to their training. Naruto would make comment upon comment about a job he didn’t do, being a brother and stuff, and Sakura would somehow always manage to destroy his goddamn ears. He needed those, they were  _ very  _ helpful.

But, his little genin were long on their way to being jonin. He was proud of them, yet he felt, for some reason, that he hadn’t done nearly enough. He was unsure what to do with them, it felt like he hadn’t taught the other two how to do things it was- it was a strange feeling. He eye-smiled when the boisterous blond made a joke about food. He was willing though. If they let him, he was willing to teach them all they needed. He got far too attached far too quickly. If they died it would- it would most likely be the worst. They reminded him of his own team. What his team could have been if- if things were different. If  _ he  _ were different. He looked to the memorial stone and wondered what he would say on his next visit.

 

He watched his friend ramble aimlessly and he felt happy. He loved seeing his friend like that, talking on and on and excited. It was a nice change, to see his eyes bright instead of full of darkness and dead set on revenge. He had thought about it a lot, about how different things already were. Just by becoming his friend, Naruto, hopefully, changed the way things ended. Sakura looked at him with confused eyes before giving an understanding smile. She understood as well, which was amazing, he finally had someone to talk to except for a dark cage and ankle deep waters, but she was different as well. She didn’t get to have her childhood back. 

Sasuke paused, looking at Naruto in (poorly) hidden confusion. The blonde grinned mischievously and Sasuke regretted  _ ever  _ asking, “Nothing! I just thought you would be a wonderful wife--” He got a foot and fist to his head.

 

Naruto wondered, for a moment, just how strange the world truly was. Perhaps it was only strange to the people who had come back, but he was sure some things were supposed to be different. He knew the speeches were supposed to be far more interesting than he remembered but there he was, wondering why he hell he decided to accept the invitation, and listening to a boring as fuck person ramble in a monotone voice about importance and shit. Baloney.  _ Why  _ did they even invite him to a party in the first place? Especially since it was a  _ formal  _ party. He felt like falling to the floor and laying there.

 

He frowned at his sensei. Kakashi stared back. Blankly. The perverted book was in front of the silver haired jonin and he refused to look away because of it. One eye or not, they were in a staring contest and, if anyone knew Naruto, they knew he was determined. (He lost, but it was funny to watch their teacher wipe his eyes repeatedly while Naruto smiled innocently.)

 

Sasuke was grumpy, it was the easiest thing to tell. He would pout, just a little bit, and his cheeks would puff. His ears would be dusted a light red, either from anger or embarrassment; it was hard to tell, and so would his cheeks. All in all, it was pretty amazing to see a grumpy Sasuke, especially since his glares didn’t scream murder anymore. There was one thing that wasn’t as fun though, he wouldn’t talk as much, giving others the silent treatment, and just ‘hn’ instead. It was a shame, really, that there was a drawback. Naruto liked to tease him until the grump was a ball of red and glares. Absolute  _ perfection _ .

Another drawback was that Sasuke would tease him back. About things that were accident, embarrassing, all sorts of things. So there he was, being teased by a grump because he slipped and fell on a patch of particularly wet grass. He wasn’t quite sure if he should laugh or hide his face in embarrassment. Instead he made a remark about how great the day was and watched Sasuke fume. He practically sparkled before hugging his friend, “It’s okay! If you don’t see how bright the day is, I’ll be your sun!” Which, honestly, could have been taken a very wrong way. Thankfully, Sasuke huffed.

“I guess I’ll look away from you then seeing as you’re trying to  _ blind  _ me.” Rude.

 

The chunin exams. He groaned loudly, already knowing exactly what the test was going to be. A written test!  _ Written _ ! He had to write it all down and this time he might even understand some of them, which means he would have to answer some. God  _ damn  _ it. Sakura gave him a sympathetic pat on the back while Sasuke looked at him in the confusion. 

 

* * *

Gaara was tired. That was dangerous, he knew. Tired usually meant sleep and sleep usually ended with someone dead. Which was bad. He didn’t like sleep. Yet mother wasn’t calling for him anymore, did he do something wrong? She didn’t want blood, why didn’t she want blood? She always wanted blood. Maybe if he killed someone, mother wouldn’t be upset anymore. Wait no, that wasn’t right.. He didn’t- he.. No. He sorted through his thoughts angrily. No no no no, none of it made sense, none of that happened- and screamed.

Why was he a boy again? Why  _ why why-  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 1031


	9. Meet Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panda, meet Fox.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAA!! I'm so sorry!! This one is really short and I couldn't get it out earlier because of a bad case or writers block. I hope you guys enjoy it anyways?

_Boruto.. Didn’t really feel a lot of sadness while staring at the casket. It was open, mostly, and you could see the makeup they put on just so that he could look a little more lively. If anything, he thought he felt.. Anger. He was angry at Naruto because his father was stupid, a useless old man. Though, he guessed, seeing as said old man saved the village, maybe he wasn’t as useless as he had thought. It was a shame, though, to see his family crying over such a- such a.. He choked out something that sounded a lot like a held back laugh and his eyes watered._

 

_“Hokage is a job for fools, old man.” And he cried._

 

* * *

 

Konohamaru was just as excited as ever. He was going to play ninja with Naruto! ~~So what if~~ ~~_Naruto_ ~~ ~~was already a ninja, his team wasn’t.~~ Except that Sakura girl was kind of scary. Scratch that. She was _really_ scary and seemed to have Naruto wrapped around her finger. Which was even more terrifying because _boss_ . Was wrapped around. A _pink_ haired girl’s pinkie finger. She was kind of ugly too, so he stated it out loud and watched the color drain for boss’ face.

Oh. She’s a witch.

And then _the floor exploded_ and he _ran_.

 

When he finally managed to gather his thoughts, Gaara wasn’t quite sure what to do when he realized that he was supposed to attack Konoha again. One time was enough, but then there was the fact that he would see Naruto again. The Naruto that was dead and was the best Hokage to date. He was also so, _so_ tired. His poor little child body - he briefly wondered if the compressed feeling he had was kind of like what the biju felt and Shukaku snorted - had been going months (years?) without sleep by that point and there were definitely bags under his eyes to help prove it.

After his.. Mental break the other day he was definitely _far_ more calm. Rational. Though his head was still fuzzy beyond belief and his thoughts keep going back to _murder_ at the drop of a hat, at least he could plan on what to do if he even gets to Konoha. Who knows, maybe this was some sort of messed up genjutsu because he did, he really did, remember himself dying. Rather vividly, mind you. But, if it were something of that caliber, it was rather strong.

Anyways, Shukaku was the gigantic raccoon he had gotten to know ages past. Ah, which tense would he even use since his past might just be the future..?

Either way, he was still quite unsure how to react. When he finally believed he was coming to a conclusion on his feelings, a little brown haired kid (Kanonononohamo? No, no.. Ah! Konohamaru!) crashed into his brother and he got an intense feeling of deja-vu. Oh. This has happened before. Kankaro fumed, his hands twitching to reach for his puppet and kill the child while Temari tried to calm him.

 

And then he saw a familiar face. “Kankuro,” He drawled, stiff as a board, “Drop the child.” And he did, face pale and shaking. He fought the urge to frown, knowing it would only make his brother fear for his life further, and instead looked at the sun. The sun smiled at him brightly and he fought the way his lips twitched. Did he come back as well? “Fox.” And he nodded to himself, watching the way the boy reacted.

“Panda-chan!” Yeah, Naruto remembered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 593


End file.
